Well I did it. Here's a report I posted elsewhere. I put it here because I'm not sure how the button released. I did hear a loud pop when it happened.

Goes to show you can't make an AI out of the Sidekick and the small sail, no matter what wind you try it in. Probably a safety factor to rein in over ambitious sailing.

It was as you stated running south (I'm referring to current). I pooped north to have it to run back with. Started out from a small pocket beach at Kauna Point at the end of Road to the Sea.

Very light wind. Got up to somewhere around Kamoi Pt. Was trolling o'pelu with a teaser up front. Also a mylar bait school teaser next to boat with a bird chaser. Has gotten me a mahi hook up before as well as a small shark look so figure it was effective. No hits. One local boat making trips up and down the coast in this section, and one that appeared head to TT. Didn't see either hook up.

I took a peek outside. Should I try for TT (that's a FAD about 3 miles out)and jig, drop stone? I see birds. Went out about a mile. What's that white stuff?

Wind sheer line that came up from SW at around 0900. Man I tighten up the sheet and tacked hard parallel to the coast to get back. With current behind me not too much trouble as I was pedaling also (Hobie yaks have a penguin wing drive you pedal). All of a sudden I'm right in the middle of bird alley. Gotta be something going on? I need a fix from a singing reel. Nada. Not a single strike out or back.

I was driving the sail too hard. Should have furled it as wind was somewhere between 15-20+ knots, lot of chop.

Made it almost home. Right opposite my launch beach the port ama popped off. It's a white inflatable 3 footer that says "Hobie" on it if anyone finds it (could blow all the way to Kona).

Least of my problems. Your only a couple of 100 yards off the rocks trolling in 3-400 fathoms. Trying a monkey imitation of reaching for my quick release to spill the sail, throwing my body opposite to the release to keep her level, and thinking about pointing into the wind proved too much. I hullied!

Well nothing is too difficult. Threw her back up, couldn't get to the release in time and promptly hullied again!

So took sail out and put hold down bungie around wrist (not recommended), reflipped yak. Got in, and stowed sail all within 100 yards of rocks and beach in deep purple water.

Something had cleaned off my bait! Called it a day.

Aloha Dan

PS I'll spare you the horror of my beach landing, but my body is sore.

PPs A BIG white charter with a dingy on the bow came by as I was cleaning up. Was going pretty slow to avoid a pounding. Seemed like he could barely handle the wind, So I didn't feel too bad.

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Last edited by AlohaDan on Tue May 06, 2008 1:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Aloha... Aloha Dan
I just installed my new sidekicks yesterday. Im leaving in a few hours to try them out for the first time in the somewhat deep, midnight blue, snowmelt water of Lake Tahoe. The forecast is winds 6 to 12 with very strong gusts up to 23+ Reading your story has done made me pidddle on the floor of my office. Hope I dont pop a floatie and end up like this soggy puddy

Hey Aloha Dan
Things went ok today with the new sidekicks on some levels but not all. My first error was that I somehow mounted the sidekick bar to close to the rudder control lever. As a result the rudder control did lever did not fully seat in the down position and therefore the rudder kept popping back up resulting a control malfuntion So I beached the yak and trimmed some of tip of the rudder handle off with my leatherman tool and sliced my thumb and two fingers in the process. Duh..
After that the rudder worked fine except the floaties would pinwheel around on the end of the bar on ocassion or be nose up wheelie style or nose down . Have you had this problem.? I think I will put some tape on the ends to make the black floatie loops tighter on the bar. Then maybe they will stay put.
Other than that it was a pretty good trip.

I just let 'em spin. some people ask me if they are propelling the yak like a sidewheeler!

Here's the black sand olivine pocket beach I launched from. You can see a local boat trolling close in. Probably 300-400 fathoms right there.

It was low tide so there were some small sets coming in over the lava ledge.

Here's a shot after I got in. Huli took place about half way to this $Milion Baby that was fighting the conditions no better than my Adventure. Fortunately it was high tide and sets were smaller even though wind was starting to generate some swells.

So anyone out there have half a Sidekick they want to sell? Maybe ran oer a half in the driveway and want to get rid of the other half?

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Last edited by AlohaDan on Mon May 05, 2008 4:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

man you were pushing the boat hard. We get 15 +knots off Catalina often during the summer. I will keep it reeled in a bit. Hate to break the wifes boat. How did you furl your sail. Currently I have a one line furling system which seems to work well.

The tube of the handle sheared. Left he whole handle in the center piece.

I had this same thing happen my 2nd time going on the water. was kinda drunk and didnt realize how rough the breakers were at the 2nd sand bar. oops.

anyway 10 minutes and $4 later I had it fixed.

The hardest part of was getting the broken plastic out of the tube. after some banging and no progress it dawned on me. The aluminum wont melt but the plastic will. or even better the glue holding the plastic will... spray on some starter fluid and light. repeat several times til the plastic gets a little gooey on the edges. poke a screw driver in at an angle and see if the plastic spins in the tube. if so work it out. the burn temp is low enough that the paint didnt even get messed up.

Next I went to home depot and got some PVC pipe (dont remember the size but it fits just right into the tubing). pvc placed in the ama tubing, drop a screw through it so it holds. drill holes through pvc where the push button used to be before you broke it and drop pin through holes.

You wont be able to adjust the height to the middle but for $4 I think I can deal with that...

If you have any questions or would like to see some pics feel free to message or respond (i just created an account to post this since I thought it was a quick cheap fix- i dont know how to use the forum well though yet so be kind haha)